


Dawn

by Astrid_Midnight



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Brief appearance of chocobros, F/M, Mention of blood, Temporary Character Death, mention of stab wound
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-23
Updated: 2020-09-23
Packaged: 2021-03-07 21:06:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,858
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26614183
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Astrid_Midnight/pseuds/Astrid_Midnight
Summary: He wasn't about to sacrifice his life to save the world.Not if she had anything to say about it._Written for Day 2 of Lunoct Week!!Prompt: 'Dawn'.
Relationships: Lunafreya Nox Fleuret/Noctis Lucis Caelum
Comments: 4
Kudos: 19
Collections: Lunoct Week 2020





	Dawn

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Day 2 of Lunoct Week!! Prompt: 'Dawn'.
> 
> Really wanted to write a quick fic for this prompt and even though it's a day late, I'm glad I got it out!!
> 
> Disclaimer: I own nothing.

_I have a plan_ , Noctis had told them.

That statement was enough to give Luna, Ignis, Prompto and Gladio an immense amount of hope but also fear at the same time. All of them had been very insistent that they wouldn’t let Noctis fulfil his destiny at the cost of his life. No matter how many times Noctis said that it was the only way to save their world and that he was willing to do it if it meant they could survive, none of them relented.

Not even Luna, who had been ready to sacrifice her own life for the world, was willing to let him go through with it. Not after they had gone through so much to be together again.

“I can’t let you go with this Noctis,” she insisted. “There has to be another way.”

“There isn’t! How is this any different to you wanting to give up your own life?”, Noctis retorted.

“It’s not. I made a choice and you want me to go through with it because you didn’t want to lose me. Well, now, I’m not going to lose you.”

Noctis grimaced at that. He knew he would’ve been a massive hypocrite if he insisted on letting him give up his life only to refuse letting her do the same for him. He would’ve saved her from her fate a million times over if he had to and he knew that she would do the same for him.

And that was the problem.

“Please, Noctis”, she begged, taking both of his hands into hers. “For your friends, for me, for all the people who love you… don’t do this. We can figure something out together.”

Noctis had stared at her for a few minutes after that and Luna couldn’t decipher what he was thinking or what he was about to say. He looked down at the ground and gripped both of Luna’s hands like a lifeline. “Alright,” he said finally. “I won’t…”

And that response seemed to be enough for all of them.

However, a day later, while the others had been planning their attack on Ardyn, Noctis approached them with a possible plan to eliminate Ardyn and bring back the dawn.

_Safely._

When he was asked what this ‘plan’ entailed, Noctis said, “This isn’t something you can help with. We defeat Ardyn and I’ll take care of the rest.” Luna and his friends, naturally, insisted that they needed to know what he had planned, that he didn’t have to do it alone, he insisted, “Please. Just let me do this. Let me save you.”

After moments of consideration, the guys eventually relented, saying that they trusted him and they would stand by him no matter what. Luna expressed the same sentiment but the look in her eyes told Noctis that she was suspicious. That there was something else that he wasn’t telling them.

But she let it go.

Which brought them back to the Citadel courtyard.

Noctis and the others had defeated Ardyn but the darkness pursued; the battle wasn’t over yet. The king approached his friends and beloved, telling them it was time for his plan.

“I have to get to the Crystal. I’ll take it from there.”

Prompto stepped forward. “What can we do?”

“Keep pushing back the daemons until the dawn breaks. Then this nightmare will finally end.”

Noctis went to ascend the stairs but turned back to his friends. “I leave everything to you. Walk tall… my friends.”

His words held a solemn weight to them, which made Luna frown in concern. What did he mean by that? Noctis looked over at her with a smile that looked _wrong_. “Luna… thank you. For everything you have given me.”

Luna didn’t know what to say to him before Noctis turned and began walking up the stairs. She opened her mouth to call his name when she felt a heavy presence her. She and the others turned to see several daemons emerge from the darkness, ready to pounce at them. The group instinctively summoned their weapons, ready for battle. A daemon jumped at Luna and she swung her Trident at it, summoning her light to drive it and its friends away. The rest of the group called forth their training, not letting any of the daemons get past them.

They had been fighting like that for several minutes when Luna began to think back to Noctis’s words. Why did he speak to them like that? Like he wouldn’t be able to speak to them afterwards?

Like he was… saying goodbye?

Luna whipped around to face the Citadel… no, he couldn’t. He promised them. He said he found another way.

Another way that he didn’t tell them about…

No.

No.

_NO._

Without thinking, Luna sprinted up the stairs, dismissing her Trident. The men had called after her but they were unable to follow, the daemons not relenting their attacks.

* * *

_I’m home._

_I walked tall._

* * *

Luna burst through the front doors, instantly rushing down the hallway and towards the elevator. She skidded to a stop and began to continuously press the call button, hoping her frantic actions would beckon it closer to her. But she soon realised that, if Noctis had used the elevator to reach the throne room, it would take ages for it to descend and then take her back up.

She’d be too late.

Not a second later, Luna rushed to the stairs.

* * *

_And though it took me a while,_

_I’m ready now._

* * *

Despite the strain it put on her body, Luna didn’t pause her trek up the towering stairs even once. The breath was being continuously stolen from her lungs, her feet were achy and her sides felt like they were being ripped apart. But none of that made her stop. and She couldn’t afford to stop; she couldn’t risk it. A second she could take to catch her breath could mean reaching Noctis a second too late.

 _No_ , she insisted. She wouldn’t let it happen.

Noctis had saved her before.

It was her turn to save him.

* * *

_I love you all. Luna, guys…_

_Dad…_

* * *

After they had gone through so much to find each other again, Luna couldn’t let Noctis throw that away. Not for the world or for anyone. She knew it was selfish; to stop someone you knew was trying to save the world. But Luna couldn’t stand by and complicitly let him march up to his death.

She couldn’t.

Noctis didn’t deserve that.

He deserved to _live_.

* * *

_The time we had together…_

* * *

There was still so much they had to do together.

So much she wanted to say to him.

She wasn’t ready to lose him.

* * *

_I cherish._

* * *

Luna finally reached the top of the stairs.

* * *

_Kings of Lucis…_

* * *

She ran to the door.

* * *

_Come to me!_

* * *

After that, everything happened in flashes:

Luna opened the door.

She could see Noctis on the throne, surrounded by pillars of glowing blue lights.

_The Lucii._

All brandishing their Royal Arms.

All aiming them _at Noct_ -

_“NO!”_

Luna bolted forward to stop whatever was about to happen, but a barrier stopped her in her tracks. She helplessly threw her body against it, banging her hands against it, screaming for them to stop. She was forced to watch in horror as the Lucii surge towards Noctis, stabbing their spectre weapons into his chest. Her cries joined Noctis’s, a different kind of pain stabbing at her heart. One after the other, they didn’t relent. Luna would remember his screams for the rest of her life. It seemed to go on forever until the room suddenly fell silent, only hearing Noctis’s shallowing breathing.

“Dad… trust in me…”

At first, there was nothing. But then the spectre of King Regis hovered in front of Noctis, raising his own sword. Luna watched as Noctis slowly raised his head to him.

A final goodbye between father and son.

Regis stabbed Noctis so quickly that Luna almost missed it in a blink.

Noctis barely made a sound.

The room was silent again.

It was an agonising silence, one that made Luna want to scream.

What stopped her though was the dark throne room being illuminated by a flickering on Noctis’s limp hand.

Luna couldn’t realise what it was before the room exploded into a blinding white light.

* * *

When Luna opened her eyes, the bright light was gone. The silence had returned and there was no sound in the air. Feeling disorientated, she stumbled to her feet, looking around the room frantically. Her eyes settled on the lifeless form that was sitting on the throne and a cry caught in her throat.

Luna leapt up the stairs and froze when she reached the throne. Noctis was sitting there, his arms resting limply on the armrests, his head hanging down and resting on his chest, his face expressionless.

His father's sword driven into his chest.

Luna’s hands hovered helplessly above him, unsure of what to do. She finally settled on pressing her fingers to his neck, checking for a pulse. Deep down, however, she knew that she wouldn’t find one. His body was already going cold.

She couldn’t stop her loud cries as she placed her hands on the hilt of the sword, the chilling metal sending a shiver through her whole body. She stood there for a moment, not knowing what she was trying to achieve with this. There was no use in trying to save him, a snide voice in the back of her mind told her, he was gone.

But Luna refused to listen to it.

With a pained grimace, Luna eventually found the resolve to close her eyes and smoothly but quickly… remove the sword from Noctis. It took everything in her power to not be sick as she heard the nauseating sound of flesh moving on metal. Before she knew it, the sword was gone and she instinctively threw it aside, not wanting it anywhere near Noctis.

Luna let out a grieving gasp and Noctis limply fell forward and she quickly caught him in her arms. With shallow breaths, she gently laid him down on the floor. She smoothed his hair away from his face, sobbing at how his usually lively expression was now emotionless.

She felt a familiar chill in the air and her head shot up, seeing Gentiana in front of them. Not in the form of Shiva, but as the Messenger that had watched over her. The woman’s eyes that were usually closed were now open, looking over Noctis regretfully.

“Please…”, Luna whispered brokenly.

Gentiana slowly looked over to her, sympathy in her eyes. She didn’t say a word.

“ _Please_!”, Luna begged again, uncaring of how pathetic she must’ve sounded. “He didn’t deserve any of this!”

The goddess knelt down, gently brushing a strand of hair away from Noctis’s face. He looked at peace.

“The King has made his choice. He has gone to fulfil his calling.”

Luna sobbed, cradling his body in her lap. “It is really too late? Is there nothing we can do?”

Gentiana didn’t respond. For a moment, Luna thought that meant that this was it. This was how their journey ended. However, the goddess suddenly said, “His soul… is not completely lost.”

Luna’s eyes shot to meet Gentiana’s. “What?”

“Once the darkness is eradicated, the King’s soul will completely pass on into the Beyond. You may be able to bring him back him before that transpires.”

“How do I do that?”, she asked instantly, holding onto that glimmer of hope.

“Use your power. From there, you will find him.”

Her final words were but a whisper and when Luna blinked, Gentiana was gone. She looked down at Noctis helplessly. Her ‘power’? Other than her healing magic, what could she possibly use that could help Noctis.

But… she had found Noctis in a dream before. Maybe she could do it again. Spurred on by her guardian’s instructions and her love for her king, Luna leant forward and pressed her forehead to Noctis’s.

Her vision was engulfed in a glistening golden light.

* * *

_It’s finally over…_

Noctis floated, feeling his soul being picked apart. He had defeated Ardyn and, with it, the darkness that had plagued the world. And now, he could finally _rest_. He softly closed his eyes, feeling his soul linger.

_Noctis…_

He heard a muffled voice, one that he couldn’t place. He absentmindedly shrugged it off.

_Noctis._

He heard it again, slightly more distinct than before. It was strange; it was definitely a voice he recognised. So, why couldn’t he place a name to it?

_Noctis!_

The voice spurred him awake. He had to know who that voice belonged to and so he gently opened his eyes. His vision was blurry but he could see a figure in a glowing golden and white light stretching out a hand to him.

Without thinking, he weakly reached a hand out to it. Something in his soul told him that he had to, he needed to.

Their hands linked and Noctis knew no more.

* * *

Luna opened her eyes and her heart leapt out of her chest as she heard Noctis groan painfully. She fumbled for a pulse and she cried as she felt a weak and faint beat beneath her fingers. Noctis was alive, but not for long if she didn’t do something. She quickly summoned her healing magic again but it wasn’t enough. Her magic had faintly closed the wound in Noctis’s chest, but he was still bleeding out.

She was at a loss of what to do when she heard the doors burst open. She turned and saw Ignis, Prompto and Gladio huddled by the entrance, haggard and scraped up from their battle with the daemons. When they saw Luna and Noctis, the men bounded up the stairs.

“Hurry!”, Luna cried, still cradling Noctis.

Ignis immediately summoned a phoenix down, pressing it to Noctis’s chest. Almost instantly, his body was engulfed in a fiery light. Seconds later, his wound was closed up and the colour in his cheeks began to return. After that, they broke a Hi-Potion over him. Noctis remained motionless and, for a moment, Luna thought they were too late _again_.

All of a sudden, Noctis gasped awake and began coughing violently. Gladio and Prompto quickly manoeuvred him to his side so he could cough up the blood he had been choking on. Ignis gently rubbed his back and Luna ran a hand through his head, relief flooding through all of them.

When Noctis finally settled, he breathed heavily, his eyes closed. His breaths were the sweetest sounds to everyone. He slowly opened his eyes, flicking among his friends in confusion before settling on Luna.

“Luna…”, he croaked hoarsely. “You’re here…”

Luna let out a strangled laugh and affectionately ruffled his hair. “Of course, I’m here. I wasn’t about to let you go.”

“I thought… I was gone…”

It was Prompto’s turn to let out a strained chuckle. “You were, for a second, buddy. But you’re back now.”

Gladio lightly patted him on the back. “Can’t believe you were just gonna leave like that.”

Ignis sighed regretfully. If they hadn’t reached him in time, they would’ve lost Noctis for good. “No use dwelling on it now. The most important thing is you’re back.”

Noctis looked over them tiredly, everything slowly coming back to him. “I’m so-”

Luna shushed him. “It’s alright.”

Noctis took her hand and weakly looked up at her. “I almost died… I didn’t want to leave you…”

“I know. But everything’s going to be okay now.” She was about to say more but had to raise a hand to shield her eyes from a ray of light.

_Wait._

The group whipped around and from out the window, they could see glimmers of light overcast the darkness that engulfed their world. It was _sunlight_. They all let out sounds of both surprise and relief, realising that they were victorious.

“You see that!”, Luna asked Noctis, gently settling him up. “You brought back the light!”

Noctis slowly raised a hand over his face when the sun caught his eyes but, a second later, he let the light cover his face. He stared at the light and it took him a moment to realise that he was crying. He around turned to see that Luna was crying too.

This is what they had all given their lives to. And they did it. They had finally won!

He gripped Luna’s hand from behind. “We did it,” he whispered.

“Yes, we did,” Luna affirmed. She kissed the top of his head. “We’re finally _free_.” Noctis kissed the back of her hand in response.

Luna was right.

After fighting for so long for a destiny that dictated their paths, Noctis and Luna were finally released from its grasp. The prophecy had said that they had to give their lives for the world but they managed to find a way to save each other. There was no way that either of them would’ve let the person they loved willingly throw their lives away for such a thing.

And, now that the light was finally back, nothing was ever going to tear them apart again.

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to my entries for Lunoct Week, where I fix everything and give everyone happy endings!! XD Thanks so much for reading!!
> 
> Twitter: @xvsylleblossoms


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